Bittersweet Reunions
by PerkyGoth14
Summary: Trent and Gwen run into each other after 15 years of not seeing one or the other and Gwen is surprised to see Trent is married and has a daughter while Gwen is thinking things over with Jamie while he's away with his old girlfriend.


**A/N: Adapted from _The Goth Girl and her Shadow_. Story might be just a one-shot, but if you guys want more, just let me know in a review and I'll keep adding on. So, read  & review!**

* * *

36-year-old Trent McCord left his work for the day, taking another day in his work. He didn't expect work to be so much work, he had experience before, but at least he could live up to the expectations. He was now going to part two of his way home after leaving the building.

He had to go to the public elementary school now and pick someone up, then take the bus home and he could relax for a few hours. After Trent left work, he smiled to his co-workers and made his way to the school and waited where he wouldn't be 'trampled' by the various kids who were anxious and eager to get home after a long day at school.

The bell rang as Trent walked down the sidewalk to the school and sure enough, the kids were running and cheering about being out of school for the day. Trent smiled to them as they rushed off and he looked to see the girl he was looking for. The little girl with her father's raven hair and emerald eyes like her mother in contrast to her father's forest green eyes. He looked among the kids and smiled as he saw the girl and she looked eager to get home.

* * *

"Daddy!"

"Hey, sweetie!" Trent smiled as he picked up his daughter and hugged her. "Ready to go home?"

"Uh-huh..." the girl nodded as she was set back down on the ground and they linked hands to get them home.

Trent held his daughter's hand and walked down the street with her as she told him excitedly about her day like every day. He remembered those days when he was often excited to get to school. Trent was always a good student, but even he wanted a day-off once in a while. The two kept walking until they came to the bus bench, but surprisingly today, there was somebody else sitting inside of it.

* * *

Trent looked to see who it was before he sat down with his daughter. He couldn't believe his eyes. It had been almost 15 years since he saw that face, that woman, that ivory complexion with greenish-bluish gothic tint. "Gwen?"

The woman turned, revealing that it was her, only all grown up and wore more dark clothing, but this time she had pearl earrings. Other than that, it looked just like Gwen did when they first met on Total Drama Island. "Trent...?" she recognized him instantly just as well as he did to her.

This was a surprising moment. Gwen and Trent were becoming a thing back in the day, but soon Heather had betrayed their relationship and Gwen had moved on to someone else. She assumed maybe Trent did too since he saw her with a little girl. The little girl, of course, did not understand what was happening, but she didn't speak unless spoken to since Gwen was a stranger to her.

"Um... H-How have you been?" Trent asked, making conversation with the loner goth woman.

"Um... Great... Great..." Gwen felt just as awkward, if not more. "I wasn't aware you lived around here."

"Oh, I've lived here for about nine years now..." Trent gave a small chuckle, he had always been fascinated with the number nine.

"I see... I came to town for jury duty..."

"Yikes..."

"Tell me about it..." Gwen noticed the little girl and put on her best friendly face. "Uh... Hello there... What's your name?"

The girl looked up to Trent quietly, who then nodded to her. "Umm... Denise..."

"Denise, that's such a lovely name..." Gwen had a small smile to the little girl, then looked up to Trent. "I guess she's your... Uhh..."

"Daughter..." Trent said for her. "Yeah... She'll be six in about a week."

Denise smiled, excited for her birthday like many children in her age group. She then looked to the purple flower she had collected while walking with her dad and gave it to Gwen. "Here, Miss..."

"Oh, how sweet of you..." Gwen smiled, taking the flower and sniffed it, placing it into her purse. "Thank you, Denise."

Denise smiled back, she may not have known this woman, but maybe she was a friend since the woman knows her father.

"What do you say?" Trent prompted.

"You're welcome, Miss Gwen." Denise said, very politely.

Trent and Gwen smiled, that was very adorable and sweet.

"Um, Gwen... Maybe you'd like to come over sometime?" Trent suggested. "If you don't mind or if you're too busy or anything... I mean, you don't have to..."

"You wouldn't mind me?" Gwen asked, a little unsure, they were still friends after the case of Heather, but it was a lot to digest.

"I-I insist," Trent said then. "Why don't you come over for dinner sometime and meet Brianna?"

Gwen had a smile then. "I'd like that..."

Trent smiled back down at her and joined her on the bench with Denise.

* * *

In about a few moments, the bus finally came. Trent went first and allowed the girls to go in before him and he went with them. Trent sat on the long seat in the back with Denise since she always liked to take out her art projects to show him before she would show her mother. Gwen smiled at some of the art projects, Denise seemed really artistic and really talented at her age.

"So, how are you and Jamie?" Trent asked after Denise was starting to fall asleep, the bus ride home was a little long due to the many stops.

"He still visits occasionally..." Gwen said calmly. "We're still friends too, but he wants to see how things work out with his childhood friend, Daria. He told me how he used to have a crush on her in Kindergarten in my mom's class."

"Hm... Well, if you can get with him, maybe you guys could both come over for dinner one night."

"Thanks Trent," Gwen smiled at him. "That's nice of you."

Trent smiled back. "Hey, we may have abandoned each other, but you're still my best friend. I grew up in a neighborhood back home where I was the only kid... Granddad always came over to play with me and he was like a big brother... Until... Well, you know..."

"You guys sound so close," Gwen looked distant. "I see my grandmother once in a while... We use the same hair dye though."

"Is she a goth too?"

"I think she might be... Kinda hard on her when Dad died and she came to the funeral, expecting her to go first."

"How did your dad die anyway?"

Gwen looked at him and forced the word out like it was dirt and she couldn't let it settle in her mouth. "Cancer... How did your Granddad die?"

"Mom never told me," Trent frowned softly. "I still miss him everyday. I like to tell Denise stories about him before she goes to sleep."

* * *

Soon enough, Gwen's stop came up.

"Well, I better get going," Gwen stood up after pulling on the string to stop the bus and the driver. "It was really nice seeing you again, Trent... Hopefully we can do it again sometime."

"Hopefully, Gwen, hopefully..." Trent nodded.

Gwen and Trent shared a quick hug, exchanged new house numbers, and Gwen went off. Trent watched Gwen leave and after she got into her hotel, the bus moved again and he wouldn't stop it until they came to his apartment building.

Denise was knocked out cold! She must have had a very busy day in school today. Trent picked her up in his arms and carried her backpack after he pulled the string and walked off with her to bring her back home. Trent then decided to put Denise into bed for now after he unlocked the door and came into the room he lived in with her and Denise's mother, Brianna.

* * *

"Trent, is that you?" a familiar female voice rang.

Trent tucked Denise in and shut the door gently behind him. "Yeah, it's me." he smiled to his wife.

Brianna smiled back and gave him a kiss on the lips after she had just finished some cleaning. "Denise going to bed already?"

"She fell asleep on the bus."

"Ah. Would you like some coffee? I just made a batch."

Trent smiled. "Sounds great, luv," he said first as he sat at the little kitchen table while she went to get cups of joe for the two of them to share. "You'll never guess who I ran into today."

"Who?" Brianna asked as she clicked off the coffee maker after it was done and came to share a cup with him.

"Gwen."

"Gwen?"

Trent nodded. "Fahlenbock," he confirmed. "She was visiting town for jury duty."

"Oh..." Brianna had a small smile. "How was she then?"

"She was doing good... Felt weird to see her after so long."

"I bet."

The two then sat together and decided to drink their coffee.

"If it's alright with you, I invited Gwen to have dinner with us one night," Trent said to her, knowing how bad it was for the ex and the current to be in the same room, but hopefully it wouldn't be too bad since they were all adults now. "If that's okay of course..."

Brianna lowered her cup with a small shrug. "If it's okay with her, it's okay with me... Is she still with that Jamie dude?"

"He's in Lawndale with Daria now, but I'm sure she gets that no matter what, I'm not going back to her since we're married now."

The two then shared their cup of coffee together and linked their fingers and hands together, their wedding rings shining bright. Trent got over Gwen long after the mishap that was caused by Heather, but now he had to wonder. He still kind of missed Gwen and it seemed like a sign from Heaven above that he happened to meet her on a normal day like today. No, he loved Brianna, he promised in sickness and health, for richer or poor, he loved her and would be her lawfully wedded husband. Or would he?


End file.
